Rewind it all the time
by Coffeeskater
Summary: Chloe really screwed up this time, maybe this is the first time Max can't save her. Maybe this is the end of Chloe Price.


Max was in her dorm room, editing some photo on her laptop when her phone rang. Picking it up the screen displayed a photo of Chloe smiling. Max smiled and selected answer.

"Hey."

"Hey Max, what's up?" Max stood up from her desk and started wandering about the room, stretching her legs.

"I'm just editing some photos. Did you call for any particular reason?"

"Naw I was just bored and you're the first name on my contacts list." Max huffed out a laugh.

"Wow, I really feel the love." Chloe chuckled but there was something wrong. She couldn't place it but she could feel it. "Chloe, what's wrong?"

"Why do you just assume something's wrong when I call you? Why can't I call my girlfriend on a whim?" Max frowned. No this wasn't right, she couldn't place it but she could feel chills rolling down her spine and the whole situation was just rubbing her the wrong way.

"Chloe, where are you? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong Max..." Her protest was weak this time and Max just knew.

"Chloe, where. Are. You." She could hear a tired sigh on the other end of the line and panic gripped her heart, cold claws squeezing painfully.

"Max, don't it's too late."

"Fuck that! Tell me where you are!" She shouted, desperation and fear taking over. Chloe sighed again and she was silent for far too long. "Chloe?" Max was fighting back tears now. "Chloe please." She begged.

Finally a whimper and her voice thick with tears, she whispered her location. Max didn't waste a single second, running out of the building and flying across campus. She might have tackled Warren in her haste. She didn't even stop to check, it could be dealt with later. There, she could see Chloe's truck in the parking lot. She ran even harder, desperate to get there in time.

Chloe was slumped over in the passenger seat. She had her hand over a wound in her middle. She looked so god damn pale. No, No way was Max going to let this happen. She yanked the door open and wasted no time in climbing in the cab and straddling her girlfriend who was bleeding out. She pressed both her hands to her wound, pressing hard. Chloe hissed and whimpered, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. God it had to be really bad if Chloe was actually crying.

"How long ago Chloe."

"Max no… you can't"

"Shut the fuck up and tell me or I'll keep going back until I stop this from happening. Telling me is optional, letting you die isn't." Chloe was starting to struggle to breath and Max was slipping farther and farther into a panic. "Tell me!"

"I don't know, maybe six, seven minutes ago?" Max nodded and reached behind her opening the glove box. Opening it she groped for what she wanted. There they were, right where she'd left them. She pulled out a pad of sticky notes and a pen. As an afterthought she pulled David's gun out too and laid in on the seat next to them.

"Tell me what happened."

"I was coming to see you, I barely pulled in when Nathan was right there, he had a gun,he just shot me and ran away."

"Okay, just hold on, please hold on."

Frantically she scribbled a message on the sticky note.

'Chloe, don't ask questions, just do it, Nathan has a gun, I'll be fine, drive away right now and worry about me later. Just get out of here, get somewhere safe then worry about me.'

"Trust me?"

"Always." Max nodded and closed her eyes.

"Okay, I'm going back now, you won't remember but you'll see this note and I trust you enough to do as your told. I love you." Max paused to press a soft and quick kiss to the taller girls lips before holding her right hand out. Taking a deep breath, she started to rewind time.

Everything was disorienting and she could feel a headache coming on, then it got worse and worse. She kept going, she wasn't going to let anything happen to Chloe. She'd lost her too many times before. Finally, just as she was sure she would pass out from the pain, Nathan came and went, suddenly Chloe wasn't under her, she was in the driver's seat, she had done it. She stopped rewinding.

Chloe looked startled, wide blue eyes turning to look at her. "Max?" Her voice was already muffled, darkness clouding her vision.

"Drive." She croaked, thrusting the note into her hands. Chloe took it and that's all Max needed, she passed out.

~X~

When she next woke up she was laying on something soft. She was on her side and she could feel what felt like sheets covering her, there was an arm around her waist. Suddenly everything came back to her, she jolted up right, eyes frantically searching for Chloe. Suddenly she was right there, Coaxing Max back down, reassuring her. Her gaze dropped to her midriff, nothing, she was fine, Chloe was fine.

She nearly started crying right there from relief. She grabbed her and pulled her down, crushing her to her. Chloe held her tightly and kissed the side of her head. "It's okay, it's okay, I'm right here." Max nodded against her, still weak. Chloe eased them down, still holding her. "You scared me for a moment there. Come on, I know you're still weak, get some more sleep. I promise I'll be right here when you wake up." Max sniffled and nodded against her.

"Okay. I love you."

Chloe smiled and kissed her forehead. "I love you too, now sleep." Max nodded and let herself relax, safe and warm in her girlfriends, arms, more importantly, her girlfriend who was alive.


End file.
